In the first place, samurai were very important in medieval Japan because of the protection they provided. They protected the daimyo from other daimyo and outside forces. The daimyo were territorial lords that served the shoguns, who at this time were the rulers of Japan, in a way. The shogun ruled on the emperor's behalf, giving them the power. The shogun ruled with all the …show more content…
One way is what they were used for. At first from 794 to 900 C.E. samurai were used to protect their master or Daimyo. They used the code of honor bushido. At this time Samurai were third in the social class below Daimyo and Emperor and above peasants and merchants. Later they grew in social class. On Nov. 21, 1,156 C.E. the Heian dynasty fell to the samurai. In 1,160 the samurai gained control of all of Japan and ruled as a government that used feudalism. Feudalism is when powerful landowners like the Daimyo and their warriors ruled Japan. Since most of the power was with the Daimyo the Yamato emperors power decreased a lot. Feudalism lasted for 700 years. To conclude the samurai changed in many different ways over